Ronaldo Says Farewell in Sao Paulo

Ronaldo at his peak

Ronaldo could not mark his farewell appearance for Brazil with a goal, as one of his successors in the national side, Fred, sealed a 1-0 win against Romania in Sao Paolo.

Brazil boss Mano Menezes handed the iconic striker a 15-minute first-half cameo in recognition of his achievements in the game, including three FIFA World Player of the Year awards and two FIFA World Cup™ wins.

He had a couple of opportunities to enter retirement with one last strike but could not match Fred's precision, after the latter scored the only goal of the game in the 21st minute. Neymar created the goal, crossing from the left flank and locating his strike partner, who converted neatly.

With half an hour gone, Menezes gave the fans what they wanted, withdrawing Fred for Ronaldo.

Three minutes later, Neymar found the 34-year-old with another well-directed ball. He got his shot away but Ciprian Tatarusanu was on hand to make the save. Neymar again fed Ronaldo in the 39th minute, this time unmarked and in a good position. He could not summon his former self and stabbed the ball over the crossbar.

His swansong came to an end when he was taken off at half-time and he was presented with a plaque by the Brazilian Football Federation during the break.

He told the crowd: "I had chances to score. Sorry for not finishing them correctly. Thanks to all of you for what you did in my career. When I cried, you cried with me. When I smiled, you smiled with me. See you soon, but on the sidelines this time. I'm very proud of being Brazilian."

Romania's best chance to score was a 24th-minute free-kick from Gabriel Muresan that shaved the crossbar. The second half was a limp affair, with neither side creating anything of note.